Best tv shows like Big Love
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The story of Bill Henrickson and his life in suburban Salt Lake City, balancing the needs of his three wives -- Barb, Nicki and Margene-- their seven kids, three new houses and the opening of his newest hardware store. When disturbing news arrives about Bill's father, he is forced to reconnect with his polygamist parents who live on a fundamentalist compound in rural Utah.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: light, entertaining, social, melancholic, epic, grindhouse, offbeat, serious, realistic, contemplative
Best tv shows and movies like Big Love (2006):
Similar in 76%
Pacific Palisades (1997)
Plot Summary:
Pacific Palisades is an American soap opera that aired on Fox during prime time from April to July 1997. Produced by Aaron Spelling, the show was cancelled after just thirteen episodes despite a last-minute attempt to increase ratings by casting Joan Collins.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 208
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic
Similar in 77%
Promised Land (1996)
Plot Summary:
Promised Land is an American drama series which aired on CBS from 1996 to 1999. It is a spin-off from another series, Touched by an Angel.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 746
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 75%
Days of Our Lives (1965)
Plot Summary:
The Horton and Brady broods endure the romantic trials of life in Salem, a Midwestern hamlet filled with evil geniuses, star-crossed lovers and a rich family history.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: soap opera, realistic, sentimental, serious, emotional, campy
Similar in 77%
I'll Take Manhattan (1987)
Plot Summary:
Maxi Amberville tries to save the magazine empire her father built, but her treacherous uncle stands in her way.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 500
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 375 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, vintage
Similar in 78%
Life Goes On (1989)
Plot Summary:
Life Goes On is a television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989, to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thatcher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Elizabeth, and their children Paige, Rebecca, and Charles, who is known as Corky. Life Goes On was the first television series to have a major character with Down syndrome.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 84%
Blue (2012)
Plot Summary:
Blue is a mother with a secret life. She'll do anything to keep it from her son. But her past has other plans.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, captivating, psychological, tense, sexual, sexy
Similar in 76%
Sisters (1991)
Plot Summary:
Sisters is an Emmy Award-winning television drama which aired on NBC for six seasons, from 1991 to 1996. The series was created by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who also created the Showtime series Queer as Folk and wrote the acclaimed Emmy and Peabody Award winning drama An Early Frost, also for NBC. The show debuted on May 11, 1991 for a seven-episode test run and was subsequently renewed for the 1991 fall schedule. Sisters was the first primetime network television series to focus specifically on the lives of women, and the issues relating to them. It was also one of the first 'demographic' hits because of its strong female viewership. Other series about women would eventually follow, but at the time it was regarded as being groundbreaking.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: soap opera, sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, realistic, talky
Similar in 79%
We Are Who We Are (2020)
Plot Summary:
Plot unknown.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama
Country: Italy, USA
Duration: 462 min
Plot tags: inspirational, sincere, thought provoking, sentimental, uplifting, touching, sweet, funny, educational, cute
Similar in 84%
Night and Day (2001)
Plot Summary:
Night and Day is a British soap opera which was produced by Granada Television for LWT and ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. Its theme-song, "Always & Forever", was sung by Kylie Minogue.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 109
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: sitcom, psychological, sincere, captivating, soap opera
Similar in 85%
Shtisel (2013)
Plot Summary:
The story of a haredi family in Jerusalem. Shulem Schtisel the father of a large family is dealing with his younger son who he wants to see married soon. His daughter, Giti is dealing in secret with marital problems while his other son Zvi Arie tries to patch everything up.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Drama
Country: Israel
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: touching, realistic, serious, talky, gothic, mysterious, sincere
Similar in 79%
Nip/Tuck (2003)
Plot Summary:
Hotshot plastic surgeons Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy experience full-blown midlife crises as they confront career, family and romance problems.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 58000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: sexy, medical drama, realistic, erotic, sexual, exciting, bloody, entertaining, dramatic, controversial
Similar in 82%
Upstairs Downstairs (2010)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1936, the show takes viewers, old and new, back to the lavish world of Belgravia, London. A new set of occupants reside at 165 Eaton Place and viewers see how external and internal influences of the tumultuous pre-war period shape and mould the lives of this wealthy family and their servants..
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, historical drama, stylized, costume drama, period piece, retro, social, serious, touching, period drama
Similar in 87%
Roseanne (1988)
Plot Summary:
A working-class family struggles to get by on a limited income in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 21 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, funny, realistic, witty, cynical, biting, suspense, iconic
Similar in 83%
Olive Kitteridge (2014)
Plot Summary:
The story focuses on a middle-school math teacher Olive and her relationship with Henry which spans 25 years over the four parts. It is based on Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 239 min
Plot tags: meditative, realistic, atmospheric, sincere, serious, heartbreaking, psychological, depressing, intense, funny
Similar in 79%
The Slap (2015)
Plot Summary:
A family drama that explodes from one small incident where a man slaps another couple's misbehaving child. This seemingly minor domestic dispute pulls the family apart, exposes long-held secrets, and ignites a lawsuit that challenges the core values of all who are pulled into it.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, psychological, captivating
Similar in 89%
Prisoners Wives (2012)
Plot Summary:
Behind every prisoner, there's a wife, girlfriend or mother doing time on the outside. For some it's a nightmare, for others a liberation. Prisoners' Wives - it's time to tell their stories.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: emotional, realistic, touching, serious, psychological, captivating, tense, detective
Similar in 77%
Satisfaction (2014)
Plot Summary:
A provocative drama that explores modern marriage at its midpoint. Through the lens of one couple, Neil Truman and his wife, Grace, this series answers the question, “What do you do when having it all is not enough?” by delving into their shocking and unconventional choices.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, tense, captivating, erotic, psychological, sexy, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 75%
Jerusalem Brew (2003)
Plot Summary:
The series opens as widow Shimon Sadeh, a successful general contractor, is finishing the year of mourning for his deceased wife. He marries Leah, his daughter's piano teacher. Shimon's eldest son, Ephraim, has become ultra-Orthodox, identifying with his grandfather, Eliahu, who lives with the family and has close bonds and a strong influence. The middle child, Itzik, rejects both going into his father's business to be a musician; and Orthodoxy. Strong-willed, feisty Ariella is finishing high school and considering her options. Many scenes take place in the small Tunisian synagogue headed by Eliahu, and involve the power struggles among the regulars there. The gut-punching drama is largely the work of Oscar-winning director Yankul Goldwasser, who previously directed the popular series Reaching for Heaven; and young director Nir Bergman, who won the Israeli Academy Award for his first film, Broken Wings.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 22
Genere: Drama
Country: Israel
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, sincere, serious, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 77%
Mama Flora's Family (1998)
Plot Summary:
Based on Alex Haley's novel about a black matriarch in the early 20th century, this dramatic miniseries spotlights the struggle for social change. Cicely Tyson stars as Mama Flora, a woman determined to free her children from the bonds of prejudice.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 607
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 175 min
Plot tags: sincere, uplifting, epic, serious, captivating, realistic, black cinema
Similar in 84%
Soul Food (2000)
Plot Summary:
Soul Food: The Series is a television drama that aired Wednesday nights on Showtime from June 28, 2000 to May 26, 2004. Created by filmmaker George Tillman, Jr. and developed for television by Felicia D. Henderson, Soul Food is based upon Tillman's childhood experiences growing up in Wisconsin, and is a continuation of his successful 1997 film of the same name. Having aired for 74 episodes, it is the longest running drama with a predominantly black cast in the history of North American prime-time television.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, semi serious, sincere, touching, realistic, talky, sitcom, black cinema
Similar in 84%
Lone Star (2010)
Plot Summary:
Lone Star is an American drama television series which originally ran on Fox from September 20, 2010 to September 27, 2010, airing Monday nights at 9 pm ET/PT. Fox announced Lone Star's cancellation on September 28, 2010 after two low-rated episodes.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 899
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 83%
The Colbys (1985)
Plot Summary:
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. Produced by Aaron Spelling, it was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984–1985 U.S. television season. The Colbys revolved around another wealthy, upper-class family, who were distant relatives of the Carringtons of Dynasty and who owned a large multi-national corporation. Intended to surpass its predecessor in opulence, the series' producers were handed an immensely high budget for the era and cast a handful of well-known movie stars among its leads, including Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck, Katharine Ross and Ricardo Montalban. However, The Colbys was ultimately a ratings disappointment, and was canceled after two seasons.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: soap opera, exciting, serious, captivating, realistic, saga, campy
Similar in 86%
Scenes from a Marriage (2021)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of the many years of love and turmoil that bind a contemporary American couple, tracking their relationship as it progresses through a number of successive stages: matrimony, infidelity, divorce, and subsequent partnerships.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 296 min
Plot tags: psychological, thought provoking, captivating, disturbing, erotic, heartfelt
Similar in 75%
Political Animals (2012)
Plot Summary:
Political Animals is a six-part miniseries. Elaine Barrish's husband Bud was a popular President of the United States during the 1990s despite his extramarital affairs. After leaving the White House, Elaine Barrish was elected Governor of Illinois and ran for the Democratic nomination for President, but lost to Paul Garcetti. The night Barrish conceded the nomination, she asked her husband for a divorce. Two years later, as Garcetti's Secretary of State, Barrish deals with State Department issues while trying to keep her family together.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 360 min
Plot tags: realistic, political, serious, talky, suspense, clever, captivating, queer cinema
Similar in 84%
Brothers and Sisters (2006)
Plot Summary:
Brothers & Sisters is an American television drama series that centers on the Walker family and their lives in Pasadena, California. The series premiered on ABC on September 24, 2006, and aired its final episode on May 8, 2011. It aired, for its entire run, in a Sunday night timeslot after Desperate Housewives. The cast included a collection of award-winning actors, including Sally Field, Rachel Griffiths, Calista Flockhart, Rob Lowe, and Patricia Wettig. Sally Field received both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance throughout the series. Rachel Griffiths was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her work on the show. In May 2011, the show completed its fifth and final season on ABC. On May 13, 2011, it was announced that ABC had decided to end the show.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, sincere, emotional, realistic, captivating, entertaining, stylized, telenovela, queer cinema
Similar in 76%
Flowers in the Attic: The Origin (2022)
Plot Summary:
After a whirlwind romance, Olivia finds herself as the mistress of the imposing Foxworth Hall, where she soon discovers that the fairy tale life she expected has quickly become a nightmare.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, period drama
Similar in 78%
The Affair (2014)
Plot Summary:
The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship between Noah Solloway and Alison Lockhart after the two meet in the resort town of Montauk in Long Island. Noah is a New York City schoolteacher with one novel published (book entitled A Person who Visits a Place) and he is struggling to write a second book. He is happily married with four children, but resents his dependence on his wealthy father-in-law. Alison is a young waitress trying to piece her life and marriage back together in the wake of the tragic death of her child. The story of the affair is told separately, complete with distinct memory biases, from the male and female perspectives.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 48000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, emotional, captivating, realistic, erotic, gloomy, philosophical, bleak, grindhouse
Similar in 76%
Modern Family (2009)
Plot Summary:
The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 469000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, funny, mockumentary, entertaining, hilarious, teen, realistic, exciting, feel good
Similar in 85%
Any Day Now (1998)
Plot Summary:
Any Day Now is an American drama series that aired on the Lifetime network from 1998 to 2002. The show stars Annie Potts and Lorraine Toussaint, who are best friends despite the difference in their races. The show's title is taken from the 1962 Chuck Jackson song "Any Day Now", which was later covered by Ronnie Milsap in 1982. A version performed by Lori Perry served as the show's theme song.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 79%
Mad Men (2007)
Plot Summary:
Mad Men is set in the 1960s, initially at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City, and later at the newly created firm, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, located nearby in the Time-Life Building, at 1271 Avenue of the Americas. According to the show's pilot, the phrase "mad men" was a slang term coined in the 1950s by advertisers working on Madison Avenue to refer to themselves. The focal point of the series is Don Draper, creative director at Sterling Cooper and a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and the people in his life, both in and out of the office. The plot focuses on the business of the agencies as well as the personal lives of the characters, regularly depicting the changing moods and social mores of the United States in the 1960s.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 256000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 4400 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, atmospheric, stylized, clever, exciting, retro, sexy, thought provoking, touching